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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

TFCC Tear

A tear of the cartilage and ligament complex on the small-finger side of the wrist, causing pain with twisting and weight bearing. From a fall or from years of load.
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Hand and Wrist · Hand and Upper Extremity

Congenital Hand Conditions

Hand differences present from birth, from trigger thumb and extra or joined fingers to underdeveloped thumbs. Evaluated early, treated when it improves function.
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Elbow · Hand and Upper Extremity

Complex Upper Extremity Trauma

Severe injuries of the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow: open fractures, crush and saw injuries, combined bone, tendon and nerve damage, and injuries that need reconstruction.
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ContactTalk toa real person.
Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
Provo1055 N 300 W, Ste 104
Orem700 W 800 N, Ste 330
What it is

Congenital Hand Conditions

About one in every few hundred children is born with a hand difference.
Many are minor and need nothing. Some, like joined fingers or a thumb that locks, are corrected in early childhood so the hand develops normally.The first visit is about understanding the difference, not scheduling surgery.
Treated by
M. Shane Frazier, DO, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. FrazierHand and Upper Extremity
Toby Johnson, MD, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. JohnsonHand and Upper Extremity
Travis Peterson, DO, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists
Dr. PetersonHand and Upper Extremity
Congenital Hand Conditions

Symptoms

Fingers joined by skin or bone.An extra finger or thumb. A thumb that stays bent and clicks, pediatric trigger thumb. A small or absent thumb. A hand that develops differently from the other side.
Parents usually notice first.
Common signs
Fingers joined by skin
Extra finger or thumb
Thumb that locks bent
Small or absent thumb
See us sooner if
Trigger thumb past age two
Difference with other findings
Congenital Hand Conditions

Causes

Most hand differences arise during limb development in the first weeks of pregnancy and have no identified cause.A few run in families or occur with other conditions.Nothing a parent did causes a hand difference.
Congenital Hand Conditions

How We Diagnose It

Examination and X-rays define the anatomy.Some conditions are watched over time. Others are planned for correction at a specific age when the hand is large enough and before patterns of use are set.Children with multiple differences are evaluated with their pediatrician.Families are seen at either clinic; surgery, when needed, is timed to the child and done locally. Dr. Frazier, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Peterson operate at Utah Valley Hospital and Orem Community Hospital.
Congenital Hand Conditions

Treatment Options

Pediatric trigger thumb that persists past age two is released in a brief operation.
Joined fingers are separated with skin grafts, usually in the first two years. Extra digits are removed, and hypoplastic thumbs are reconstructed or replaced by index pollicization.Therapy and splinting support function throughout childhood.
Your options
Non-surgical
Observation
Splinting
Therapy
Surgical
Trigger thumb release
Syndactyly separation
Reconstruction
Related
Congenital Hand Conditions

Procedures That Address It

Congenital Hand Conditions

Surgeons Who Treat It

Dr. Frazier, DO
Fellowship trained in hand and upper extremity surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Seventeen years in practice. Fluent in Spanish.
Dr. Johnson, MD
Weill Cornell graduate, hand fellowship at Allegheny General. Twenty-one years in practice and seventeen as a collegiate team physician.
Dr. Peterson, DO
Hand surgery fellowship at UMass Chan. Office-based, wide-awake carpal tunnel release. Fifteen years in practice. Speaks German.
ContactTalk toa real person.
Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.
Provo1055 N 300 W, Ste 104
Orem700 W 800 N, Ste 330